Reserve-supply device for gasoline tanks



' May 1, 1923. 1 1,453,713

E. w. KRUSE I RESERVE SUPPLY DEVICE FOR GASOLINE TANKS File d' March 31,1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JZLEIZZZF:

May 1, 1923.

1,453,713 E. w. KRUSE RESERVE SUPPLY DEVICE FOR GASOLINE TANKS Filed March 31, 1921 2 s eets-sheet 2 'I I imizzbr Patented May 1, 1923.

UNITED STATES EDWARD W. KRUSE, OF CHiICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RESERVE-SUPPLY DEVICE FOR GASOLINE TANKS.

Application filed Marchg31, 1921. Serial No. 457,397.

ToaZZ 20.71 am it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD W. Know, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of .Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reserve-Supply Devices for Gasoline Tanks, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention relates to automobile accessories of the type designed to maintain and bring into action' a reserve supply of gas0-. line the gasoline tank, at the same time notifying the [driver of the car of the necessity iof re-tfi'lling. More particularly, the present invention belongs to that class of such devices wherein the supply line from the gasoline tank normally draws oii the gasoline at a level an inch or more above the bottom .of the tank, thereby warning the driver when the level has fallen tosuch point, and may then be manipulated so as to permit the flow of thegasoline reserve down to practically the bottom of-the tank. My present invention aims chiefly to penses with valves, in the directions :of greater simplicity, -economy,ease of application and manipulation and :e'fiiciency in operation.

Another object ofthe'invention is to provide' a reserve supply device of thischaracter which will not involve any substantial alteration of existing equipment on standard-cars, such as the Ford, and which may be .readilyapplied and easily manipulated.

,Still other .objects and attendant advantages of the'invention will be apparent to those skilled inzthe art as the-same becomes better understood by reference to the .following description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein I have illustrated several 7 practical embodiments of the principle .of the invention as applied both to Fordconstructions and also to gasolin'etanksused in connection withthe socalled vacuum system, and referring thereto,:

Fig. 1 is a view .partly in side elevation andpartly lILSBGtlOIl bI'OkBH out, of a gasoline supply "line of the Ford 1 type, with my improved reserve supply device applied thereto;

Fig. ,12 is a verticalsection corresponding withthelowertportion ofFig. 1 and illustrating a slight modification of the construe tion ofFigl;

prove that type of such devices which dis-- bottom .of. the sediment pocket 8.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, and I illustrating a construction wherein the reserve supply device is manipulated from the topof the gasoline tank; I

.Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in vertical section illustrating another form of theinvention.

Referring first to Fig. 1, ,5 designates a,

fragment .of the lower portion of the gasoline tank such, for instance, as is used beneath the front seat of a Ford car. 6 designates the gasoline supply line leading to the carburetor, and 7 designates the gasoline supply line coupling consisting ofa casting, the upper end .of' which is connected into the bottom of the tank 5; this roupling' being equipped with the usual, sediment pocket 8 V and drain valve 9. In the standard Ford construction, the coupling 7 isequipped with a cut-01f valve a-slight distance beneath the tank; but to accommodate the structural features of the present invention, this cut-01f valve designated by 10 is located in and across the squared shank 11 of the cover plate 12 which screws into one side of the coupling 7 and .carries the strainer (not shown) and a threaded nipple 13 which is joined to the line .pipe 6' by the gland nut 14. Extending axially through the coupling casting 7 and its .sediment'pocket 8 is a straight pipe 15, the upper end of whiCllfi normally projects inch or slightly more above the bottom of the tank 5 and is pro- .vided with an annular stop shoulder '16.]

The pipel5 .is further provided witha lateral :port 17 normally disposed about the samedistanceabove the bottom of the sedim'ent pocket Sas the stop shoulder 16 above 3 the bottom ,of thetank 5. Below the port 17 thelpipe "15 is'threaded as shown at18 and screws through a dependingv lug 19 on the joint at thispoint is maintained by a pack ing washer 20 and a clamp .nut 21 on thethreaded portion .18 of the pipe 15. The

lower portion of the pipe 15 lying below the boss .19 performs the function of the usual drain pipeand carries the drain cock 9.

In thepractical operation of this form'o-i theinvention, the parts are normally in theby notified-that his supply is running low. Thereupon he loosens the clamp nut 21, and

A tight grasping the drain cock 9 he turns the pipe 15, screwing it downwardly until the stop 16 engages with the bottom of the tank. This brings the port 17 down substantially to the bottom of the pocket 8, but does not occlude the port so that the reserve supply of gasoline flows freely to the carburetor until the driver reaches a source of supply. The tank having been refilled, the pipe 15 is again screwed upwardly to substantially the height shown, the nut 21 is tightened to pack the joint, and the device is then in normal working position.

The construction illustrated in Fig. 2 is identical with that of Fig. 1, except that in lieu of employing a screw threaded engagement of the pipe 15 with the lower end of the sediment pocket, I provide a sliding fit of the pipe 15 with the sediment pocket and its boss 19, and thread the exterior of the latter for engagement with a nut 22, within which latter is a gland packing ring 23 which is compressed to make a tight joint and at the same time frictionally hold the pipe 15 in its uppermost position.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a form of the invention embodying the same principle of a valveless construction, but wherein the device can be manipulated from the upper side of the gasoline tank, instead of from the lower side of the sediment pocket of the supply line coupling. In this construction, the drain pipe 24 and drain cock 9 remain as standard in the Ford construction, and, in lieu of thepipe 15 with its port 17 located within the supply line coupling, 1 provide a pipe 25 which extends downwardly through the gasoline tank 5, passing through both the top wall of the latter and through the upper end of the coupling 7, the lower open end of said pipe terminating within the chamber of the coupling 7. In that portion of the pipe 25 which extends through the tank 5 is formed a lateral port 26. Normally this port is disposed at the same height above the bottom of the tank as the upper end of the pipe 15 shown in Fig. 1, the upper limit of the position of this port being determined by a stop on the pipe 25,

- such as the nut 27 engaged with the threaded lower portion 25 of the pipe, the stop 27 cooperating with the upper transverse wall 7 of the coupling. With this construction, the gasoline flows freely until its level falls to the level of the port 26 whereupon it ceases to flow; and the driver then pushes the pipe 25 downwardly to the limit deter-- mined by a stop shoulder 28 on the upper end of the pipe, which carries the supply port 26 to its lowermost position, shown,

thereby enabling the reverse supply to flowv to the engine until the new level of the port 26 is reached.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated anothersp cific form of the invention, consisting chiefly of a different mechanism for shifting the supply pipe section endwise to bring the reserve supply of gasoline into service.

This form of the invention comprises a short casting 29 containing an axial bore 30 in which is slidably mounted a pipe section 31. As shown in Fig. 4, the lower end of the casting 29 is recessed and tapped to receive the threaded nipple 7 on the upper end of the supply line coupling 7, and the upper end of the casting 29 is formed with a threaded nipple 29 of the same size as the nipple 7*, which is entered through the bottom wall of the gasoline tank 5. The pipe section 31 in its normal position extends above the bottom of the tank 5 to the same extent as the pipe 15 of Fig. 1 and the port 26 of the pipe 25 of Fig. 3, while its lower end extends downwardly into the supply line coupling 7. On one side of the pipe section 31 is formed a rack 32that is engaged by a pinion 33 fast on a shaft 34 which latter is journaled in a suitable oil-tight bearing. Fast on the shaft 34 is an operating handle 37 which is preferhas fallen to the upper end of the pipe sec-- 7 tion 31, the driver of the car gives the shaft 34 approximately a three-quarter turn in the direction indicated by the arrow. This lowers the upper end of the pipe section 31 until it is flush with the upper end of the nipple 29 and the pipe section is held in such lowered position by the gravity of the handle 37 which has been swung to the 'op-' posite side of the shaft 34v from its position as shown in Fig. 4. When the tank has been re-filled, the handle 37 is swung back to the position shown, which again raises the pipe section 31 to its normal position.

I claim:

l. The combination with a gasoline tank,

and a chambered supply pipe coupling communicating with the bottom of said tank,'of

a supply pipe section extending through the bottom of said tank and lying partly in said tank and partly in the chamber of said coupling, said supply pipe section having an upper opening communicating with said tank and fixing the level of the reserve supply and a lower opening communicating with said supply pipe coupling, and means for adjusting said supply pipe section downwardly to bring said upper opening substantially flush with the bottom of said tank whereby to drain therethrough the reserve supply of gasoline.

The combination with a gasoline tank,

and a chambered supply pipe coupling com municating with the bottom of said tank, of a supply pipe section slidably mounted in said coupling and at its upper end projecting into said tank, said supply pipe section hav-' ing a port communicating with the chamber of said coupling, a rack on said supply pipe section, apinion shaft journaled in said coupling, a pinion on said said shaft engaged with said rack, and a Weighted handle on said shaft adapted to hold said supply pipe section in either raised or lowered position.

3. The combination of a liquid receptacle provided with an outlet opening, a valve housing secured to said receptacle, said housing having an aperture registering with said outlet opening, a tubular valve member in said aperture adapted to slide therein, one 'end of said valve member extending into said receptacle and having an outlet aperture above the bottom of said receptacle,the

tacle, said means comprising a rack on said valve member, a pinion meshing With said rack and means for rotatlng said p1n1on.'

EDWARD W. LKRUSE. 

